Real estate brokers often say that one of the most important features of a house is its entry door . Siding, shutters, windows and shrubs matter, but the most eye-catching aspect of a house, the brokers say, is usually the front door.

Homeowners with even the most ordinary-looking houses can get a healthy infusion of beautiful appeal, the brokers say, by simply replacing a drab, nondescript entryway with a new carved wood door.

''This is the first thing people really focus on when they approach your house,'' said Aris Crist, an architect in Greenwich, Conn. ''Historically, the front door has been the expression of the elegance and the security of the house. So the entryway must be both strong and beautiful at the same time.''